What is the role of music in the church?

I believe the primary role of music is worship -- "the chief end of man is glorify God and to enjoy him forever."

Our church states it this way (from the web site) -- "We know that Worship is the first thing. We were created to worship and understand that there is no greater joy than to live in God's presence both through a life of individual devotion and corporately through worship with the Community of Christ."

 

To give us an opportunity to worship together by our voices singing together to our Creator.
Also, it helps prepare us for the time in the Word.

 

I would go for this one.

 

To turn our focus to God and prepare for he preaching of the Word.

 

Ps 150:1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.
2 Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.
3 Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.
4 Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.
5 Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.
6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.

i think that about sums it up... :thumbs:

 

to give Baptists something to fight about in between business meetings.

 

Serious question: could there be more than one role? I think music can be convicting for both saved and unsaved and that would be a twofold purpose.

 

Music is a way for members to have an active part in praising the Lord in song. It also paves the way in preparing their hearts to hear the word with praise and worship songs. As a soloist and song leader, music is very important to me. Some people will listen to a song when they won't listen to the preaching. That's why I sing only songs with a message. I don't sing a song simply because it "has nice words" or a "beautiful melody". It has to have a message of salvation, God's goodness and forgiveness, hope in the Lord. I particularly like songs about heaven as well as praise and worship songs. My favorite is "How Great Thou Art." That's always the first solo I do in a church where I've never sung before.

 

To give glory to God. To show Him praise. In many churches today music is used to work the crowd up into a worldly frenzy.

 

Music is the expression of every human emotion. In the church, this expression is done in the context of worship. Consider the Psalms and the breadth of experience that is contained in them. These broad experiences are what we should be singing about in our worship. These are the praise that we offer to God, the prayers of petition, the confessions of sin, the grief over the loss of a loved one or some other tragedy, the joy of love. The type of music doesn't matter, but if it does not allow you to express all of these kinds of emotions and more, then it is an incomplete type of music.

Tim Reynolds

 

To exalt the Name of the Lord and bring glory unto Him, as should be the purpose for everything that takes place in the House of the Lord.

 

Praise. Worship. Unity. Education. All of these are connected with music in the Bible. Different songs, different purpose. But all should be present.

IMO,

R1